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Depeche Mode

Depeche Mode will release a new album, Delta Machine on March 26 via Columbia. The first single from the record, "Heaven", will debut via video on VEVO on February 1.

Delta Machine will be released as a standard edition as well as a deluxe edition that includes a bonus disc with four extra tracks as well as a 28-page book featuring photos by Anton Corbijn. "Heaven" will be released on disc with remixes from Matthew Dear (as Matthew Dear vs. Audion), Blawan, Owlle, and Steps to Heaven.

Re: Depeche Mode

After hearing the single, I don't know...I love them, especially since their Violator, but they're becoming less experimental about things lately (not really impressed by their Sounds of the Universe). I hope I'm wrong though. Still looking forward the new album though.

come now, my child. if we were planning to harm you, do you think
we'd be lurking here beside the path in the darkest part of the forest?

Re: Depeche Mode

What We Learned at Depeche Mode's 'Delta Machine' Listening Session

David Gahan quietly lurked, death-disco pounded on

Depeche Mode frontman David Gahan quietly attended a listening party for Delta Machine, his band's upcoming 13th album, held last night at a posh Manhattan nightclub in Chelsea. The album was queued up, and the announcer from Columbia gave some bare facts before pressing play: It's 2013, 13th album, 13 songs, out March 22, and then, "This is their first album with us. We're happy to be working with them." The bar crowd talked loudly through the whole affair and when the final note played, it took a full 15 seconds before anyone noticed the silence. Someone clapped, hoping it wasn't just an electrical outage, and then the whole clan joined in. After another awkward moment, the club's mix kicked back in: "Suit & Tie." Everyone went back to drinking, as if they'd never heard a thing.

Here's what we heard, while sitting alone in a chair inside that sad, dark disco.

1. "Heaven" is a Fake-Out

For some unfathomable reason "Heaven" is the lead single for the album. It follows the template for every Depeche Mode song since producer Ben Hillier's arrival in 2005: a teasing, minimal drum line, bigger-is-better vocals, and a wide stereo chorus. The only thing out of that order here is the painfully slow tempo. A strong bass groove and tight drum fills shape this syrup into near-trip-hop, but Gahan barrels where he should be fragile. It's not a bad song, it's just not the best choice. The good news is that the single is a fake-out: the rest of Delta Machine is harder and weirder.

2. "Should Be Higher" Should Be Higher

This death-disco creeper is by far the best track on the album. All the traditional elements of Depeche Mode get held back or rearranged or sung in falsetto so that, while still classic, the song sounds fresh. It's also the best mix. You know that high whistle on U2's "With Or Without You," the one you can't forget once you hear it the first time? This song has the same thing, only it's a sizzle.

3. There Are More Songs About Faith and Devotion

Martin Gore said that this album would have the vibe of Violator and Songs of Faith and Devotion, which is to say unapologetic pop tinged with blues and guitar. "Slow" and "Goodbye" are his takes on that tradition. The former throws out a big blues guitar line then wanders from the form into a hazy Spiritualized-style gospel choir. The latter is more traditional, a spartan hook turned lush at the chorus. With Flood's mix, it contains lovely musical moments of vocal excess shifting imperceptibly into instruments. For those of you reading song-lyric tea leaves, this track means just the end of album "goodbye, again," a bookend to the inconsequential opener "Welcome To My World."

4. Even Legends Suffer From Anxiety of Influence

Depeche Mode are in their third generation of being the biggest synth band on the planet, and for the last decade that honor has mostly been a songwriting curse. The attempts to put boundaries include the minimal techno track "My Little Universe" that actually mostly works, except when Gahan leaves the ominous reptition of "I let no one in / No one" to sing less pithy cliches. "Soft Touch/Raw Nerve" is a revision of history where DM was more industrial than pop when the instruments were and sounded hard. The less said about "Angel"'s mid-song techno identity crisis, the better.

5. Yes, Virginia, There's a Martin Gore Song

There's always at least one song sung for Team Gore, and this one is a bitter ballad. "The Child Inside" begins with a solemn Mingus-y bass line that adds big synth pads and flourishes of electronics but little percussion. Listening only once amid chatter made it hard to pick up all Gore's narrative, but we did catch this: "I can hear that dreadful sound / Watching from afar I see a child's drowned / The child inside your heart."

Re: Depeche Mode

Shortly before taking the stage at the Ed Sullivan Theater, Depeche Mode announced the North American dates for their Delta Machine Tour. The album itself was still two weeks away, but anticipation for the tour and new material had grown quickly online as fans searched to see if the new wave legends would visit their city.

Depeche Mode had made it no secret that they planned to debut new material during their Live on Letterman webcast. This wouldn’t just be fans’ first chance to hear the new tracks live—it would be their first chance to hear many of the songs at all. Needless to say, the stakes for the show were growing higher and higher as the hours counted down to Dave Gahan, Martin Gore, and Andy Fletcher stepping onto the legendary stage.

Backstage, Depeche Mode planned to play new material for more than half the show. Of course they would bring the hits, but the majority of their show would be songs that the audience was not familiar with. It was a gamble that only a band of their stature could take, and it was a gamble to that would pay off grandly.

The opening beats of “Angel” pounded out and the crowd arose. By the moment Gahan let his signature wails lose on the first hook, they crowd was synched. It may have been new material, and the album may not have been out yet, but this was classic Depeche Mode.

A familiar, fuzzed out synth buzzed through the theater as a swinging beat rocked around the room. Gahan belted out “Should Be Higher,” like there was nowhere else to go. It was their second song off the forthcoming Delta Machine, but with such a trademark and distinct sound, Depeche Mode’s mew material managed to be immediately familiar, while also completely fresh.

Up next, all it took was two simple drumstick clicks for the crowd to recognize “Walking in My Shoes.” Hearing it today, you’d never believe the song is 20 years old, which is a true testament to not only the longevity of Depeche Mode, but also the influence they’ve welded throughout their career on younger bands.

From Songs of Faith and Devotion, Gahan steered the band ahead a few years to Ultra, with “Barrel of a Gun,” before crooning their current single “Heaven,” with such passion and conviction that the crowd stood stunned.

Everyone knew “Personal Jesus” was coming eventually, but as soon as Martin plucked the legendary licks, the crowd erupted like it was a complete surprise. Needless to say, the late 80’s anthem brought the house down in a way few songs or bands can.

At this point in their career, it’s probably fair to say that Depeche Mode can measure a new track by its ability to follow “Personal Jesus.” If a new song can hold it’s own after what is arguably one of the biggest hits of a decade, it’s a keeper. “Soft Touch/Raw Nerve,” and “Soothe My Soul” both did just that, taking the energy to even greater heights, building to “Enjoy the Silence.”

When a band of this caliber plays a song with such deep emotional roots for an audience, it may sound hackney to say it, but words are, in fact, very unnecessary. There’s no describing it. Listen to it yourself.

Through out the night, Depeche Mode continued to deliver. Their classics sounded more relevant than ever, and their new material carved out respectable sonic space among the classics. With the release of Delta Machine on the near horizon and the tour to follow, Depeche Mode is looking as good as ever.

Re: Depeche Mode

'VEVO Tour Exposed' takes an exclusive, all access look behind the scenes of Depeche Mode's current tour Delta Machine, as they play to a packed out audience of super fans at the Olympiastadion in Berlin, Germany. You'll see how such a huge show comes together and get a glimpse of life on the road through the eyes of the band, their crew and the this dates opening artist, Trentemoller.